


An Early Rescue

by thunderbird_dragon



Category: Thunderbirds, thunderbirds are go
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2020-03-29 22:44:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19029469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thunderbird_dragon/pseuds/thunderbird_dragon
Summary: Tracy Boys as Kids - Is Jeff too quick to assume 12 year old Gordon is at fault for an incident at the Air Base that seems to bring shame on the family name?  Something deep within Jeff desperately wants him to trust the boy but Gordon has a bit of a rep and with accusations flying, what choices does Jeff have?





	An Early Rescue

                                                   

That part of the emergency room was partitioned only by curtaining, but Gordon’s illusion of a safe haven was torn wide open as his father, in full thunderstorm mode, threw back the curtains of his cubicle.

The boy had been hypothermic - he was still cold, tired, aching and close to tears since the boat had upturned – the last thing he needed right then was his father’s condemnation to add to his misery.  He closed his eyes futilely and waited for the onslaught.

“What the hell did you think you were doing!”  The voice was low so as not to carry too far but the force of it was still there, all the sheer frustration of a parent who has just been told that his son had been involved in a near-fatal boating accident.  That mixed with the knowledge that he had only four hours earlier told that same son, categorically,  that he was forbidden from getting anywhere near that same boat.

Jeff’s hand was on the boy’s shoulder now.  “Gordon!” But there was no sudden shaking of the shoulder, no insistence that Gordon opened his eyes and pay attention as he expected.  Instead, what Gordon experienced was a massive huff of relieved breath on his cheek and ear as his father’s own face came close to his.  The softest of fatherly kisses on his forehead.  “Shit, but you scared me this time!” Jeff whispered.

Was the storm over, could Gordon risk opening his eyes?

He tried.

And found his father leaning right over him, hands wrapping around him in a warming embrace as he lifted the 12 year old, fuzzy thermic blanket and all, into his arms.

“Sorry Dad!” he offered meekly, teeth still chattering.

Jeff took in a juddering breath and held his son close.  “So you damned well should be, son.  So you should be.”

The boy allowed his father to take his weight of his shoulders and head then sunk into a sleep that was made better without the worry of having to face his father – that was done now.  Yes, there would still be repercussions, there were always repercussions – grounding - for a year probably.  But for now, his father was just grateful to have his son, alive, in his arms.

The jolt that woke him was sudden and dragged him from a dark dreamless serenity.  He was still in his father’s arms.  Still in the emergency room.  Still wrapped in the fluffy blanket.

But they were no longer alone.

“I oughta be suing you, Tracy, allowing kids to use a damned right dangerous boat!”

Gordon vaguely recognised the voice – no - he recognised the tone and way of talking, it sounded like Frankie’s voice.  Slowly it dawned on him, it was Frankie’s Dad’s voice.

“That ‘damned boat’ was hauled up and fenced off with danger signs on it, which your son ignored like the rest of them.  It was in a designated area for boats needing repair, chained to a post.  What part of ‘allowing’ kids to use it does that come under!”  Jeff’s reply wasn’t a question.  “I could just as easily sue your kid for losing it – But that’s hardly the point here!”

That was true, all seven kids were safe in the hospital, their two-hour ordeal in the cold waters of Lake Ontario over, they were half frozen, a couple of them sick from water intake but they were all going to make it.  

That was the point!

“How the hell could it be Frankie’s fault if your kid was there too!  I’ve told my two, time and time again, to stay away from your boys, but no! Well, this time Tracy you’re for it, this time I’m going to the military police!”

Jeff had sat bolt upright at the beginning of the tirade, Gordon clenched tightly into him, trying to see what was going on.

He could see Keira, asleep with her mother close by, opposite his cubicle.  Imran and his younger brother almost next door to her, their father stood, his hands firmly on his hips watching the exchange with anger on his face.

The others he couldn’t see.

Then Perchie’s mom was there in the way, stomping towards the bed. Another thunderstorm approaching – Gordon closed his eyes again.

He could feel his father’s heart beating hard, the slow steadying breaths he was taking, knowing that he was assessing everything as it was happening calmly, whilst still seething at the hit on his family’s honour.

Did he think it was Gordon’s fault – did he think that he’d brought the whole Tracy family into disrepute – Did he know the truth?

Would it matter?

Hell, he was going to be grounded for a year – maybe ten!

Jeff felt him shudder and looked down at his son, eyes clamped tightly shut, clung to his father’s shirt like a little limpet.

By then Perchie’s Mom was on them.

“What the hell do you think you’re damned well talking about!”  Her outburst wasn’t hushed – her voice carried – and a nurse from the nursing station bolted out, his hands up instantly trying to calm the situation.

“Sorry, but you’ll have to keep your voices down, I’ve already called security, if you can’t keep it calm, you’ll be ejected.”

Perchie’s mom held both hands up in instant surrender.

“Okay, okay, let’s do this in a civilised manner.”  She was also Air Force, all of the parents were, based together at the lakeside training installation, she could handle a riot if she had too.  “I’ve listened to my son, have you?”  And she turned on Frankie’s dad. “From what I can understand of it, the whole thing’s a bit of kids high jinx gone dangerously wrong.  No-one’s going to say whose idea it was, they’ll stick together on that I bet.  But they all took it the boat, they are all…”

“No!” Imran’s dad joined in.  “No, they didn’t all take it, there were a couple of kids who said no, tried to stop the others.”

Jeff looked down sharply at Gordon, who’d opened his eyes, craning to see who was speaking.

“You?” Jeff asked quietly so that only Gordon would hear and gratefully accepted the nod the boy replied.  “Forgive me then, Kiddo. I should have known, but you’ve got to admit with your history, I had to suspect.”

Gordon found space amidst all that was going on for a mild grin at that!  Of course, his father would suspect him of wrongdoing, he did have a bit of a rep after all.

“Who took it, who didn’t!  It makes no difference.  If it hadn’t been for your kid Tracy, none of this would have happened!”  Frankie’s dad spat the accusation at Jeff.  “He’s a trouble maker and you know it!”

“Not so fast my friend!”  Imran’s dad had crossed the room both hand up calmingly.  “From what I understand it was Frankie who goaded them all into taking the boat, Frankie and…”  He turned to smile at his older son, whose honesty at least, had made him proud. “  And my Imran.  So perhaps you should have accepted the premise that  _ **no**_  one child was to blame when it was offered to you.”  

They all stopped to reflect on that thought.

“But if you want to point a finger at the Tracy boy,”  Imran’s father continued, “Can we all remember that while four of the kids just thought to rescue themselves, it was Gordon who went back and first rescued my youngest there.”  He indicated the smaller boy watching intently over the edge of his own fluffy blanket.  “And then went back for the Augustus girl…”

“Keira!” Her mother called across, waving a timid hand to indicate to anyone who didn’t know which child had so closely come to drowning.  The one who had gone under with no trace for a minute or more.  The one who Gordon had dived and dived and dived to find.  Once dragged onto the shore, it was her that Gordon had revived with OXH.  

Keira, who had been so close to changing this ‘high jinx’ to a tragedy.

But instead, the little lass lay sleeping safely under the wing of her mother, cleared of any danger now.

They all looked towards the girl and then at her mother who’s tears had started again whilst she held so tightly to her daughter’s hand.

Moments passed as they all took stock of the reality.

Jeff was looking down on his own child.

He’d taught him well.

The boy was a strong swimmer.

Gordon had tried to stop the others.

Then he’d rescued and rescued again, at the risk of his own life.

A warm splash hit Gordon’s cheek and he looked away from Keira, up to his father.

Tears were falling freely.

“I’ve never been more proud of you Son,” was all he said.

Gordon felt the storms passing.  The warmth of his father’s body was reaching him and he began to drift back to sleep with no resistance, instead, he allowed it to envelope him and support him, as he clung to the hope that perhaps he wouldn’t get grounded after all - well, maybe only for a week or two.

 

 


End file.
